Art, in its final form, is appreciated by everyone. Each painting or a sculpture is food for thought, one that shares emotion in your or stirs up nostalgia. Many times, you find yourself wondering what an artist had in mind while creating a piece of art. This is what artist and curator Shijo Jacob, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, is exploring through his recent exhibition — a rare peek into the minds of artists.
Sketchbook, the ongoing exhibition at Durbar Hall in Kochi, has displayed the sketchbooks of 36 artists, including Shijo’s. The sketchbooks are stacked neatly in glass boxes, like relics in a museum. A page is open for our perusal. One sketch from the book is hung above the glass box, in its unfinished glory, opening a window to the artists’ psyche.
Academic feat
Sketchbook of A R Poduval, a contemporary of Raja Ravi Varma, is displayed at the exhibition. Accompanying it is a sketchbook of Rama Varma, Raja Ravi Varma’s son. “Whenever my student asks me about the process of creating art, I tell them the importance of a sketchbook. It’s like a personal diary of an artist where everything related to their creations is scribbled down. It’s sacred, as it is the foundation for producing good works. For years, I wanted to offer my students and enthusiasts a journey into the way art is made, at least a few steps of it. I have been trying to organise this show for decades,” says Shijo, a professor at College of Fine Arts Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram.
The difficult part, according to the artist, was convincing artists to open their sketchbooks for public viewing. “Many were understandably reluctant. They were worried about inflicting damage to the sacred thread of their art. So, while I was researching about every proficient artist of the yesteryears and where their sketchbooks were kept, I also had to convince everyone about how it wouldn’t lead to the destruction of what they created,” says Shiju.
He adds: “The interaction an artist has with his or her sketchbook is unconditional, without any ego. And therefore, a sketchbook has the first draft of his/her dreams, ideas and thoughts. This can also be the reason why many are not willing to display their sketchbooks.”
A sketchbook of contemporary senior artist K G Subramanian — known for his folk-influenced arts — and his rare artistic acumen is also displayed here. K S Radhakrishnan, Akkitham Vasudevan, and Ramkinkar Baji along with various young artists have also opened their sketchbooks to the public.
“These books have archival importance. It is not just an art exhibition. This offers a glimpse behind the curtain,” says Shijo, whose sketchbook from 2012 is on display here. If two pages are not enough for you, Shijo is also screening a documentary at the exhibition. The hour-long docu-feature offers interviews of artists and several more pages from their sketchbooks.